Majors + Academics

University Scholars Program in Medicine

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This dual admission gives highly motivated and focused students an early orientation to a medical career. The Washington University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the top schools in the nation, so standards for admission are high.

We look for students with compassion, commitment to community, aptitude, integrity, and motivation suitable for a career in medicine; with outstanding academic records; and with demonstrated leadership skills in their high school's academic and extracurricular activities. If you change your mind and decide not to attend medical school, you still have great choices for an outstanding education.

Program Highlights

Apply for admission to Washington University both for your chosen undergraduate degree program and for medical school.

Finalists come to campus in the spring of their senior year of high school for interviews with representatives from our undergraduate divisions and from the School of Medicine.

Gain admission to undergraduate and graduate study at the same time, as long as you successfully complete your undergraduate studies.

Receive guidance from a mentor in the School of Medicine as an undergraduate.

Receive invitations to special lectures and other events held by the School of Medicine.

Engage in research as an undergraduate, if interested.

Receive personal pre-professional advising.

Have the opportunity to "shadow" a medical student or physician.

If you change your mind and decide not to attend medical school, you still have lots of great choices for an outstanding education.

Pre-Med Studies at WashU

You have a wide range of choices for your undergraduate area of study. Majoring in one of the natural sciences or engineering is traditional, but majors in the humanities and social sciences are equally welcome. Pre-med students also have opportunities to study abroad.

As an undergraduate, you will need to complete a minimum of one year of each of the following:

Biological science

General or inorganic chemistry

Organic chemistry

Physics

Mathematics through differential calculus

Our pre-medical advisors in the College of Arts & Sciences and in the School of Engineering & Applied Science work with you to make sure you're prepared for medical school. Undergraduate students frequently participate in research projects in the laboratories of faculty members at the School of Medicine. Those opportunities are ideal experiences for anyone interested in getting a head start on cutting-edge biomedical research.

Medical School Studies

As a medical student at Washington University, you will receive an education among the very best in the world. Our students are taught the scientific basis of medicine and the most up-to-date clinical care, one-on-one with faculty.

You will benefit from many teaching approaches:

Traditional lectures and laboratory

Small-group interaction

Self-directed learning

Issues of medical humanities and ethics are integrated throughout the four-year curriculum, and an extensive computer network provides access to the latest computerized teaching tools and the Internet.

The curriculum is designed to take advantage of students’ preferred approaches to learning. Patient contact will begin your first month. Your first-year courses will address normal human structure and function, neurosciences, physiology, cell biology, and genetics. In the second year, you will focus on the effects of disease on body structure and function. Your clinical experience will be integrated with courses in pathology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. You will complete core clinical clerkships during your third year, while fourth-year studies will be fully elective.

Graduates of the School of Medicine complete their residencies at top university-affiliated hospitals, including our own
Medical Center. They pursue successful careers in primary care, medical specialties, academic medicine, and clinical and basic research.